Now a dual monitor setup has become commonplace. Multitasking on a single screen is just too much of a hassle. But why stop at two screens? I can speak from experience: having multiple monitors (and I’m talking about three, four, five, or even six) is just…awesome, and something you totally need in your life.
Right now, my primary PC has a three-screen setup: my main 27-inch center display, with a 24-inch screen on each side. I use my extra monitors for a number of things, like comparing spreadsheets side-by-side, writing articles while researching, keeping tabs on my social media feeds, and, of course, watching Netflix.
Using one of your monitors in a vertical orientation can make a big difference when scrolling through long documents. If you’re a gamer, well, you can surely see how great three monitors can be for games that support multi-monitor setups. You can even use your TV as an additional computer screen!
But before you jump in, you want to give your multi-screen plan some forethought. This guide will walk you through all the factors you need to consider before setting up three or more monitors.
Step 1: Check your graphics card(s)
Before you jump in and buy a bunch of extra monitors, check to see if your computer is physically capable of handling all that graphical prowess. First, look at the back of your PC: how many graphics ports (DVI, HDMI, DisplayPort and VGA) do you see?
If you don’t have a discrete graphics card, you may only see two video ports. Most motherboards come with integrated graphics that can only run dual-monitor setups. If you do have a discrete graphics card, you’ll probably see at least three ports, not including the ports on your motherboard.
Point: Although it is possible to set up multiple monitors using ports on both your motherboard and your discrete graphics card, you will experience a drop in performance and some lag when moving windows between monitors. If you wish to do this, you will also need to enter the BIOS of your PC and go to Setup > Video > Integrated Graphics Device and set it to Always On.
However, just because you see three or more ports on your discrete graphics card doesn’t mean you can use them all at once. For example, many older Nvidia cards cannot run more than two monitors on a single card, even though they have more than two ports. The best way to find out if your graphics card supports multiple monitors is to find the name of your card (Control Panel > Device Manager > Display Adapters) and Google with the monitor configuration you want to run (e.g. Nvidia GTX 1660 four monitors).
Most modern graphics cards can power multiple displays simultaneously.
If your graphics card supports and has enough ports for the number of monitors you want to configure, great. Otherwise, you may need to purchase an additional graphics card to get the multi-monitor support you’re looking for.
Before purchasing an additional graphics card, you should ensure that you have enough space in your tower (and open PCIe slots), as well as a power supply capable of handling the additional load.
If you’re buying a graphics card just for the purpose of having multiple monitors, it’s best to get a cheaper modern option, as today’s GPUs can power multiple displays without issue. Check best budget graphics card section of our GPU guide for your best options.
Alternatively, monitors that support DisplayPort multi-streaming can be daisy-chained from a single DisplayPort connection on your graphics card, using additional DisplayPort cables to connect the additional monitors together. The different screens don’t even have to be the same size or resolution. An example of this is the ViewSonic VP2468. AT about $330 on Amazonthis 24-inch monitor is more expensive, but in addition to DisplayPort output, it also offers a high-end IPS display and ultra-thin bezel, ideal for multi-monitor setups.
Step 2: Select your monitors
Once you figure out your graphics card situation, it’s time for the fun part: getting extra monitors. In general, monitors can be purchased for quite cheap these days. Assuming you can’t find an accessory, a 24-inch monitor with an IPS screen will run you around $150, like the Acer R240HY. You can get a 24-inch TN display, which will likely trade off strong off-axis viewing for faster response time – something gamers might prefer – for around the same price, like the Asus VS248H-P ($160 on Amazon). You can also find smaller IPS monitors at around 21.5 inches, like with this HP pavilion IPS screen, for.
Meanwhile, if you’re looking for even more screen real estate, you can find a decent 27-inch IPS display for just over $200, like the $210 ViewSonic VA2759-SMH.
Of course, the perfect monitor for you depends on several factors, including what monitors you already own, the size of your desk, and how you plan to use your extra monitor. (Of course, resolution is yet another variable, and you can see our article on 1080p vs. 4K Monitors to help you make a decision in this area as well.)
In my case, I already had two 24-inch monitors and wanted a larger monitor as the centerpiece of my setup. So I took a 27 inch monitor and placed it between my two 24 inch screens. I don’t use my multi-monitor setup to play multi-monitor games, so the difference in sizes (and the difference in heights – the stand on my 27″ monitor keeps this monitor about an inch higher than my 24″ ) is not a problem for me. However, if you plan to do a lot of gaming or watch videos that span multiple monitors, that height difference will make the experience not so smooth.
A DisplayPort connector (left) and an HDMI cable (right).
Before buying your monitors, you should also make sure that they have input ports that match the output ports of your PC. Although you can use converter cables, such as DVI to HDMI or DisplayPort to DVI, they can be cumbersome. If you have a VGA port on your PC or monitor, I advise you to stay away from it: the VGA is an analog connector, which means that your image will be much less sharp and the colors will be less vivid.
Step 3: Configure your PC
Set up your monitors, plug them in and turn on your PC. There it is! A perfectly trained multi-monitor setup! Well, not so fast. Setup is simple, but there are still a few steps.
The first thing you’ll want to do is configure Windows to work well with your multiple monitors. If you are using Windows 7 or Windows 8, right-click on the desktop and click Screen resolution; in Windows 10, click Display settings. This will take you to a screen where you can configure the options you have for multiple monitors in Windows.
Here you can confirm that all your monitors are detected. Click on Identify, which will cause a large number to appear on each of your screens, so you can determine which screen is which. Select the monitor you want to use as your primary display (this will also determine where your taskbar and Start button will appear). A drop-down menu allows you to choose to duplicate your desktop or extend your desktop across all displays. In most multi-monitor setups, you’ll want to span your desktop across all three (or four, or whatever) of your monitors.
Alternatively, you can configure your multi-monitor setup in your GPU’s control panel. Right-click on your desktop and choose the Nvidia or AMD control panel (depending on your graphics card), then find the Display section, which will offer options similar to Windows.
Games
It’s one thing to use multiple monitors to work and watch Netflix. It’s another thing to use multiple monitors to play video games. If you want to use your sleek new multi-monitor setup for three- or four-panel gaming, there are a few additional things you’ll need to consider.
Gaming on multiple screens at once requires a lot more graphics firepower than gaming on a single screen alone because the GPU has so many more pixels to push – so if you’re not using a sufficiently robust graphics card(s) , you’ll almost certainly see lag and artifacts in your multi-monitor games. Again, check out PCWorld’s Guide to Choosing the Best Graphics Card for Gaming.
GLORIOUS.
Before you can start playing your games on multiple panels, you need to configure your graphics card and game. Nvidia users will need to configure Nvidia Surround, while AMD users will need to create an Eyefinity group for their monitors.
You’ll also need to go to your game (not all games are multi-monitor compatible) and configure the video or display settings to the correct resolution so the game spans across all your monitors instead of getting stuck on one. Alone. You’ll also want to play around with other settings as the game allows, including field of view (too low, and there’ll be too much around you; too high, and everything on your left and right screens will be extremely distorted).
For gaming, it’s easier if you have multiple identical screens, because otherwise you’ll run into issues with resolution, distortion (if your screens aren’t at the same height), and color calibration, all of which can be difficult to work. if you are trying to play in a homogeneous environment.
If working with multiple screens seems to be more of a problem than you’d like for gaming, you might be better off going with a single ultrawide monitor. Check out our article on the pros and cons of two screens against one ultrawide.
